by Peter Glenn
“Just say you accept.”
LaLuna looked up into Mei’s eyes. Slowly, she gave another nod. “Very well, Mistress Mei. I accept.”
Chapter Sixteen
I SUCKED IN A DEEP breath and ran my fingers through my hair. It was getting a little on the long side, and I’d have to cut it again soon. But that was the least of my worries. I glanced down at my fingers and saw that they were shaking just a little bit.
The door loomed in front of me like an unwavering barrier. LaLuna’s door to her new place in Ravensdale. Mei had been as good as her word and had managed to get a very nice little house for her and Grace.
Well, it was nicer than my apartment, at least. Which wasn’t saying much.
I was wearing nice clothes just for this occasion. I hadn’t seen her since she’d moved out here. Today would be the first time. It had only been three days, but still, it had felt like so much longer. I smoothed my hand over my gray polo shirt and the top of my black khakis. I was pretty sure nothing had wrinkled on the ride over, but it didn’t hurt to be extra certain.
My hand reached for the doorbell. It was odd for a moment even thinking about the fact that she had a doorbell. I’d lived in an apartment for so long I’d forgotten people even had those. In my line of work, I spent a lot more time sneaking into houses than entering them normally.
How oddly appropriate and proper that her door should have a doorbell.
I pressed down hard on the button, and a few chimes sounded in the distance. This was it. My last chance to impress her before she opened the door.
In my other hand, I had a small bouquet of irises. I wasn’t sure if fae gave people flowers or gifts or anything, but it seemed appropriate to me, so I did it.
“Just a moment,” LaLuna’s voice called out from the other side of the portal.
I took another steadying breath and waited for the door to open.
LaLuna opened the door a moment later, and I took in the sight of her. She was wearing a light blue house dress with yellow flowers on it, and she had her hair up in a bun. She looked more amazing than anything I’d ever seen in my life.
“Hello, Damian,” she said with a smile. “Won’t you come in?”
“Thank you,” I told her, grinning back at her. I stuck the flowers out in between us. “Umm, these are for you.”
She looked down at the irises—they were blue, like her eyes—and then back up at me. “A gift? You shouldn’t have.”
I shrugged. “It seemed like the right thing to do.”
“Fae do not easily give gifts,” she told me. “Some believe it means you owe a favor to the gift giver.”
My expression soured. Some attempt to impress her. Even that had backfired.
“Do you think that?”
LaLuna smiled again. “Not when you do it.” She grabbed the flowers from my hand. “I think they’re beautiful. You have my gratitude.”
Phew. Looks like I’d dodged a bullet there.
“So,” I said, “how’s the house treating you? Are you and Grace settling in nicely?”
“Indeed,” LaLuna replied. “Do you want to see her? She’s down for her nap at the moment, but if you want to sneak a peek at her, you’re more than welcome.”
“Umm, that sounds great.”
Smooth man. Real smooth. It’s a wonder she hasn’t fallen into your arms already.
“Come on, but be very quiet. She’s a bit of a light sleeper.”
I nodded. “Got it.”
We walked through the small house over to one of the two bedrooms. LaLuna beckoned for me to look inside, and I did. I could make out a sleigh-style wooden crib and a small dresser that looked to be overstuffed with baby clothes. Mei had set her up well.
Baby Grace was sleeping peacefully on top of a pink blanket in the middle of the bed. Her hands waved about every few breaths like she was startling herself. Still, she looked very happy there. And safe.
LaLuna shut the door gently, and we walked back over to the living room. “We’ve had a little trouble with some of the trucks that come through here at night,” she told me. “They can be a little loud for her, so she often spends most nights in bed with me. But we’re adjusting.”
“That’s good,” I flashed her a dopey grin. “I’m glad she’s doing okay, I really am.”
“Me too,” LaLuna said. “Would you like to sit down?” she motioned toward the big couch on the far wall.
“Yes, thank you.” I flashed her a grin and took a seat. She sat down next to me, nice and close. So close I could feel her warmth wash over me. It felt good and right, in a way. And a little too much. I backed away just a touch.
LaLuna bit her lip. “You know, I probably should have told you this sooner, but you really shouldn’t thank a fae.”
“Oh?” I gave her a startled expression.
LaLuna nodded. “Mm-hmm. It means you’re indebted to them.”
“And here I’ve been thanking you this whole time, too. So that means I’m indebted to you now?”
LaLuna gave me a slight smirk. “I suppose. But only if you want to be.”
I grinned at her again. “Maybe.” Somehow, I liked the thought of that very much.
“Anyway...” I said, clearing my throat.
LaLuna sighed and scooted away. “Well, I’m sure you should probably get going.”
“Yeah,” I muttered. “Probably.”
“I’ll walk you to the door.”
“Than– I mean, I’d, err, like that very much.” I let out a nervous laugh and started to stand.
“Oh, Damian, you can be so cute sometimes.”
She got up and offered me her hand. I took it, and she guided me over toward the door and opened it.
“Well, I suppose I’ll see you later?”
I turned around and looked her in the eyes. I couldn’t leave it like this. Not this time. I stuck my hands in my pockets and opened my mouth, but the words didn’t want to come.
“Something the matter, Sir Damian?” LaLuna asked me, her head cocked to the side.
“I... I...” I was trying, but nothing would come. Then, all at once, it spilled out like someone had blown a hole in a dam. “Look, I like you. A lot. More than I probably should. And when you talked about going back to the fae realm, I wasn’t so much worried about Grace as I was about never seeing you again. I can’t really explain it, but I care about you. A lot. And I want to spend more time with you. Like, a lot more time. With you. And Grace, too, but mostly with you.”
I let out a sigh of my own. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, I like you LaLuna, and I want to be with you.”
LaLuna shook her head. “Oh, Damian, sometimes you talk way too much for your own good.”
I felt deflated. “I do?”
“Indeed.”
She reached forward and grabbed me in her arms, then planted a kiss right on my lips. The world melted as I fell into the sensation, forgetting everything but her and the feel of her lips on mine.
Several moments later, we pulled away from each other, and she looked deep into my eyes. There was a gleam there that hadn’t been there before, and something else. Happiness.
“I guess I do talk too much sometimes,” I told her, grinning again.
“Shut up, Damian.”
Then she kissed me again, and the world melted away once more.
Shut up indeed.
A VAMPIRE IS FRAMED for a grisly murder. Can Damian find the real killer before all hell breaks loose? Find out in the third installment, Who Framed the Vegan Vampire?
Author’s Notes
MARCH 4th, 2021
First off, if you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for reading this book! I put a lot of work into it, and nothing makes me happier than making my fans happy. So if you’re reading this, I’m assuming you liked the book and you’re a fan. So thank you.
What a ride, huh? I really enjoyed the story of the first book, but I think I liked this one more. It was nice to see Damian finally find someone to sp
end his days with that wasn’t a bar patron, and maybe even grow up just a little bit. (But not too much, I promise).
I know I already did it in the acknowledgements section, but I’m going to take a moment to thank my wife again. The idea behind LaLuna and Grace appearing out of nowhere was hers. She came to me one morning saying it’d be perfect for the next Damian novel and, well, I agreed. And thus was the basic plot for this book born. It’s taken a few twists and turns since then, but that was the start of it all.
One thing I get asked a lot is what’s my favorite scene from the book. Well, of course they all are, but to give a real answer, I’d say the scene where Damian and LaLuna are in the car and he’s trying to pretend he doesn’t like her but love songs keep popping up on the radio. It feels like something that could happen to someone in real life, and it makes me laugh every time I think about it.
What about you? Do you have a favorite scene? If you do, drop me a line and we can chat about it till all hours of the morning if you want to. Or just a single email would work, too. I absolutely adore hearing from my fans. It makes my whole day when a fan reaches out to me. Really it does.
And don’t worry I still have plenty of adventures in store for Damian and crew. Didn’t see enough of your favorite bar patron this time around? Don’t worry, they all get a moment in the sun at some point. You’ll see more of all of them in the future. Some of them even become costars in future novels. I won’t spoil which, though. You’ll have to read and find out for yourself.
Anyway, if you liked this book, please leave a review. It means the world to me. Just ask my wife, my kids, or any of my friends. I rave about every single one. They’re each like a little present. A gift of gratitude for me to cherish.
Plus, a bunch of good reviews might just help that next book come out that much faster. (Maybe. It certainly wouldn’t hurt anything lol.)
Loved the book a lot? Give me a follow on social media, too at: www.facebook.com/authorpeterglenn OR join my mailing list: www.peterjglenn.com/email. Better yet, do both! The more the merrier! I also have giveaways (like signed copies of my books) and exclusive behind the scenes info for my mailing list subscribers, so join up!
I’d love to get a shout out from you in either spot and hear about what you’d like to see in an upcoming novel or short story. After all, I’ve got plenty of ideas running through my head for other adventures.
Who knows? Maybe I’ll even name a future character after you (if you want. I’d never do it without permission). I actually had someone give me permission recently and you’ll see that character in Immortality Curse 3! (Thank you, Charmaine.) It could happen to you, too. Just ask!
Thank you again for joining me on this journey and sticking with it until the very end, and I do hope you’ll join with me again in future books.
Auf Wiedersehen.
OTHER BOOKS FROM PETER GLENN
The Immortality Curse
How to Lose Your Dragon (1)
What to Expect When You Have a Fae Baby (2)
Who Framed the Vegan Vampire? (Coming soon)
Immortal Brother, Where Art Thou? (Coming soon)
Have Artifact, Will Travel (Coming soon)
The Guardians of Kallor
The Fhyrrstorm (1)
The Dark One’s Reign (2)
The Light’s Last Hope (3)
The Sariah Chronicles
Resistance to Magic (1)
Betrayal of Magic (2)
Survival by Magic (3)
Triumph through Magic (4)
CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR
Peter Glenn Social
Website: www.peterjglenn.com
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